


The Life Our Parents Couldn't Give Us

by TinyMandarin



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Child, Childhood Trauma, F/M, Love, Music, Panic! at the Disco - Freeform, School, Twenty-one Pilots, foster
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-01
Updated: 2015-10-23
Packaged: 2018-02-27 16:54:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2700335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TinyMandarin/pseuds/TinyMandarin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They couldn't do it. They couldn't give them what they should've. They abused Jack. They gave Geoff tattoos. They died of cancer. They died from a fire. </p><p>Yet they helped them. Jack found friends and the courage to speak. Geoff made friends with Jack. Ryan found the livelyhood of the theatrical arts. And Gavin found the fun of slo-motion without Dan. </p><p>All because of Kara and Chris.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beginning of Something New

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [As We Are](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2247579) by [heytheregisela](https://archiveofourown.org/users/heytheregisela/pseuds/heytheregisela). 



> This is my first fanfic, so tell me things I could work on! Ima newbie, so please don't hate. And I originaly wrote this in the notes ok my phone and I basically copy and pasted the story here. Yet, did I realize I spelled some of the names wrong. So, besides that, tell me things that could happen throughout the story! I could work off of an idea. Or not(really depends on my mood). I hope you enjoy, and I'll update as soon as I can!

Kara was putting some final touches on the house. She set up the bed sheets in his room and made the living room all nice. Today was the day she was starting a family. Not one related with blood, but one that is basically forced together. A family that has nowhere to go, lost in the fears of reality. 

It has been many months of waiting and preparation to start this family. So many meetings, check ups, and signatures on papers for this day. The doorbell chimed, and she jumped to the door. Before opening the door, she made sure she didn't look "worn out" or "anxious".

Kara opened the door, and there stood Jack Pattillo, with a thumb in his mouth and a stuffed animal glued to his grasp; shall he dare to let go. Stood next to him was Brooklyn, the child protection services lady.  
"Hello again, Ms. Ebberly." 

"Hello, Brooklyn!" The enthusiasm was great, and her excited face made it all the better.

"Jack is ready to live here." She kneeled down to Jack's level. "Jack, this is Kara. You will be staying here for a little while, ok?"  
Jack nodded.

"Hey, Jack. I'm Kara. Want to come inside?" Jack nodded again, and walked inside, hugging Brooklyn before he left. 

"He doesn't talk much, so don't be surprised if he doesn't want to have a conversation or socialize for a while. He's been through so much." Brooklyn said it with such great sympathy. "And call if you need anything. I'll be in touch."

"Well, alright. Talk to you later, Brooklyn." Kara then shut the door, as she saw Brooklyn walking away from the threshold. She turned to Jack, who was sitting on the ground, looking his stuffed animal in the eyes, looking for some kind of connection.  
"Let me show you to your room, if that's where you would like to be. If you don't, then I'll show you another room first." Jack nodded and held onto Kara's hand as she led him upstairs to his room. "I'll let you get your stuff unpacked. Come downstairs if you need me." Jack nodded, and walked into the room, shutting the door. Jack unpacked his stuff, anxious to get out his notebook. He loved to write back at the orphanage. It was how he expressed his feelings without actually talking. In his room was a bed, a closet, and a desk with a lamp. He sat at the desk, and started writing about how he felt about the house and Kara. 

Hours went by, and Kara was texting her best friend, Chris.

[Kara] Hey  
[Chris] Tired?  
[Kara] Not really, just relieved.  
[Chris] Is the boy there yet?  
[Kara] Yes, and he's in his room.  
[Chris] ok I'll be there in like 20 mins with some groceries.  
[Kara] um.. Why the groceries?  
[Chris] I want to meet him.... And make him dinner. It will be a nutritional and hearty and good for the heart.  
[Kara] alright. 

Kara stopped texting him, because he would have been driving. Before she knew it, Chris was there with a bag full of groceries. He wore a blue t-shirt and a pair of skinny jeans. "I'll go get him." Kara ran upstairs and cracked open Jack's door to peek her head through. "Honey, I have someone you should meet."

Jack closed his notebook and walked with Kara downstairs. Chris waved at him, waiting for his introduction. "Jack this is Chris, my best friend. Chris, this is Jack."

"Hello, Jack." Chris put his hand out, and Jack shook it, a nice friendly shake. It was an exceptional handshake for a 6 year old boy who was traumatized at a young age.

"You can go back upstairs if you want to, Jack. Dinner with be ready within a couple of hours."  
Jack headed upstairs, no words needed.

"I presume he doesn't talk much?" 

"I haven't heard him speak once." 

**********  
It has been a couple of weeks, and Jack hasn't talked once. He never needed to. He would only come out of his room for food and bathroom necessities. It was summer, so school hadn't started yet. Kara would try to talk to him, but it was difficult for her, because he could never get the words out. Chris was over all the time, keeping Kara occupied. Sometimes he would sleep over, and bring his xbox to her house. He would hook it up to her TV, and play it till 2:00 a.m. 

It was one night, when Jack couldn't sleep. He SWORE he heard a beer bottle break, but it was most likely his imagination. He couldn't even close his eyes after that. Jack thought he needed a glass of milk to calm his nerves. He opened the door slowly, and started walking down the stairs. Jack stopped in his tracks when he heard a soft "mother fucker" from downstairs. He panicked, and didn't know what to do. Then he calmed down when he heard a small "yes". Jack then saw the TV screen. The graphics; he couldn't take his eyes off of them. He started walking further down the stairs at a faster pace, to get closer to the screen. Chris saw Jack walking towards the area through his peripheral vision.  
"Jack? What are you doing up this late?" Jack had to say something. 

"W-what are you doing?" Jack kept staring at the TV.

"Well, I'm playing a game called Trials HD. You are a cool biker riding a motorcycle through obstacle courses." 

"C-can I try?" 

"Sure, Jack." Chris handed Jack the controller. They played more than an hour, then Chris decided to tell Jack it was time to go to bed. Jack understood, as it was 3:00 in the morning. He went upstairs and fell asleep. 

***  
Ever since that night, Jack's social interactions have gotten better. He would say things when needed, but it would only be 3-4 word statements. Chris has moved in, taking an extra room for his belongings. The Xbox, though, stayed in the living room. Jack would play Trials with Chris, after finding out what "co-op" meant. It has been a couple of weeks, and it was only Chris and Jack while Kara was at work. Kara treated Chris like one of the kids, because he acted silly and funny around the kids. She decided, it was time for a new member. But Brooklyn would have to call her first, because she would be the one running reports and boring stuff like that. Kara didn't know how long it would take. She wasn't anxious to have another kid around; knowing the child could have gone through depression, beatings, and/or trauma. Kara hoped that wasn't the case, but she was more "prepared" than she was when Jack was brought to her.

Brooklyn called the next morning. Kara and Chris met her that day while Jack was at school. They met the child, who would be staying a few days later. The boy's name was Geoff Ramsey. He had black hair, and an 80's rock concert T-shirt on. The thing that stuck out the most, to Kara at least, was his arms. They were littered with tattoos. There wasn't enough for another one on neither arm. Geoff was polite, and had a few known manners. He was a year older than Jack, so that shouldn't be a problem. 

***  
Before they knew it, Geoff Ramsey was sitting in the back seat of their car. "You're really going to like Jack. He may not talk much, but he is a cool guy. And he's only a year younger than you!" Kara said enthusiastically. 

Geoff sat there, holding a teddy bear for dear life. "Oh. That's cool. I'm sorry if my tattoos bother you, I'll wear long sleeves if you want." He looked down at his feet.

"No it's fine. I actually think they look cool!" Chris said to him, making the boy look up.

"My parents said that I'll be just like them, and they took me to a tattoo parlor. I still remember the pain..." Geoff rubbed his arms, sniffling.

They soon arrived to the house. Chris grabbed his bags, which was just another backpack full of clothing. As they walked in, Jack was standing there, in cargo shorts and a t-shirt. "Alright Geoff, you're room's upstairs. Jack, have fun with Geoff." Kara patted him on the back and walked off into her office. 

"H-hi. I'm Jack." He put a hand out.

"I'm Geoff. Kara told me a lot bout you." Geoff shook his hand.

"Like what?"

"Like how you're really nice, and you're cool, and th-that you're 6. I'm 7." Geoff smiled.

"D-do you like motorcycles?"

"Yea. They're pretty rad."

"Wanna play some.. Trials?"

"Oh my gosh yes!" With that, Jack grabbed his wrist and dragged Geoff to in front of the TV and handed him a controller. They became immediate best friends. Geoff wasn't a shy one, but would become smaller when a kid bullied him for not having "real parents." Jack would stand up for him, even though he was younger. 

At school, some teachers asked if Geoff could cover up his tattoos with a jacket. They didn't like imagining a child's skin getting ruined because of their parents. Some of the guy teachers didn't mind them. Geoff understood, and always obliged. 

~~~5 years later~~~

Brooklyn called. It's been so long, but this one was even worse than it could've been. "We're on our way," Kara grabbed Chris and ran to her car. The boys were at school, thankfully. 

"Whoa, Kara. What's the rush?"

"There's another."

"What's the story? Is it more abuse?"

"No, even worse."

"Then what is it?"

"Parents died of cancer." Silence remained in the car until they got there. They got out of the car, and ran into the building. Brooklyn was waiting for them there, wanting them to meet the boy. 

"He's in there, if you want to meet him. And it's actually been 3 months. We were letting him recover from the sudden loss before finding a new family." Brooklyn opened the door to the boy's room. "Ryan, meet Kara and Chris." Kara waved a friendly hello. 

"Hey Ryan, I'm Chris. Or dude, idiot, loser, Demierez, scum of the earth; you can call me anything, really." 

"You've been called 'scum of the earth'? That's not very nice. I've been called horsey-hay, Ryan, James, Mad King, and 'still in the air guy'."

"Wait, why were you called horsey-hay?"

"My last name is Haywood."

"Oh, well I'll call you anything you want me to. If you don't care, I'll call you horsey-hay. I like the alliteration."

Ryan laughed, understanding the joke. "Call me Ryan. You know, I like you. You're nice." He looked at Brooklyn and Kara. "Can I keep him?"

Chris looked at them with a puppy face. Kara looked at Brooklyn with a 'I'm going to keep a smug face while meaning a puppy face' face. 

"Yes!"

***

A few days later, Ryan was part of their family. He walked in, and started looking around the house; completely overlooking Jack and Geoff in front of him. "I was wondering if you were going to notice us or if we were going to be asked to move." Jack said with a jokingly sarcastic tone.

"Jack and Geoff?"

"The one and only," Geoff bowed.

"Pfft, yea right." Kara said with sarcasm. "Ryan, you're room is upstairs on the left. Geoff and Jack, have fun with Ryan." Kara and Chris went to do their own business.

"Ryan, I have to break it to ya. Are you prepared, this may be shocking." Ryan looked at Jack with a puzzled but worried face. "You are officially our new best friend!"

"Sorry, we don't make the rules. Don't you ever break that rule, or we'll break you."

"Geoff, no we won't. I don't like breaking things."

"Or we'll break your– um..– pencils! Those pencils won't ever see a pencil sharpener once we're through with them!"

"Ok, I can deal with that. Minecraft?"

"Sure, as long as you don't break my pencils." Ryan laughed and ran with them to the Xbox. The boys were already treating Ryan as if they had known him for as long as they knew each other. 

"So, how old are you, Ryan?"

"Eleven."

"Good, I'm still oldest. I'm twelve, Jack's the same age as you."

"Oh Jack, that means you can help me with school stuff tomorrow. I'm starting tomorrow, if you didn't know. I hope it'll be f– SWEET DIAMONDS! I hope it'll be fun." Ryan was focusing on the diamonds not falling into lava.

"I'll help you out."

"Alright, thanks."

***

The boys were walking to the bus stop. "So.. is everyone nice? I'm a little nervous." 

"You're fine, you're fine. The only problem you may have is that we have 7 hours. 55 minutes per class, and the rest is for lunch." 

"Oh, so that's what this is for..." Ryan looked at a piece of paper that was in his hands. It was his schedule. 

Geoff tapped Ryan on the shoulder. "Bus... HOY!"  
The bus stopped and let the boys get on it. Geoff and Jack sat next to each other, so Ryan was forced to sit next to a random girl.

"H-hi, I'm Ryan. Ryan Haywood."

"Hello! I'm Jennifer, but call me Jenny. Jenny Yao." She stuck a hand out, and Ryan shook it. "So, you new?"

"Yea. Moved yesterday."

"Oh that's cool. Now, hand me your schedule." He obliged, handing her his schedule. "Hmm.. OOOOO we have home room together, math, and art together!"

"That's awesome."

Jenny grabbed the other earbud and handed it to Ryan. "Wanna listen? It's Panic! at the Disco.... if that's ok."

Ryan grabs the earbud and puts it in his ear. "If you mean the best band off the face of the earth, then yes!" They listened until they got to school, when Jenny had to turn off her phone. Ryan paid attention to her physical features. She was Korean, but she was born in America. She wore a sweater and an awesome beanie; the kind that slings back, but has a ball at the top. She also wore vans and skinny jeans. This girl was awesome.

Ryan followed her to home room, which was fairly far from the entrance. He sat next to Jenny, who was chatting with some others about a test that was yesterday.

"Oh, Ryan! These are my friends. There's Barbara; the pun making Canadian who's blood is maple syrup. There's Caiti; the Australian who pronounces the 'L's in 'tortilla'. And there's Arryn; the local who wears aviators to school."

"Well I'm Ryan Haywood; the new kid who just moved here and has no idea what I'm doing."

"Well HAY there." Barbara laughs at her own joke, very pleased with herself. 

The teacher walks in the room, and goes on with class.

***

The bell rang, dismissing class. Him and Jenny split ways, thinking he's going the right way. Ryan keeps constantly looking down at his map, pretending it's useful. "Hey Haywood!" He looked up, wondering who called his name. "How ya parents doin? The foster house good?!" He heard the snicker of a group of friends. "Hopefully these don't die on ya again!" Even more snickers and giggles fill the nearly empty hallway. Ryan turned around to see the culprits. "What was it? Lung cancer? Brain tumor? I don't remember! How bout you tell us about it?!" More giggles.

Ryan spoke dark and with his head down, but still looking up; not showing his eyes. "What do you want."

"Oh I just want to get to know the new kid! That's all! At least we're talking! Your parents sure aren't! HA!" The group of friends surrounded him, no escape from this nightmare. 

"Shut up."

"Oh, but I thought I have the freedom of speech!" The kid looked back at his friends, and they all agreed with him.

"I said, shut up!" Ryan raised his voice. The group of friends started shouting 'fight' over and over again as they were in the middle of a circle.

"Well, the public says that we should–" before he finished his sentence, he punched Ryan in the face. Right next to the eye, to be exact. Ryan fell to the ground, when the kid and a couple of his friends started kicking Ryan in the stomach. Ryan had a bloody nose. 

A teacher saw what was going on, and took action. "Hey! Stop that!" He split through the crowd and pushed a couple of kids off of Ryan, giving him a hand and helping him up. He looked towards the crowd of people. "All of you to the principle's office. NOW!" The crowd scrambled almost immediately.

Ryan was crying. All of the pain he had just taken in was a lot, and it was his first day. He hadn't even made it to 2nd hour yet. The teacher had to help Ryan walk to the nurses office, where Kara would be called and where his wounds would be tended for. 

Kara hurried her way to the school, excusing herself from work. She walked in to see Ryan having many ice-packs on his body. An extra nurse had to hold one for him. "H-hey Kara." 

"Will it hurt if I hug you? Like a loving person?"

"Yes. But it's the t-thought that counts."

"Can someone tell me what happened?"

"I was walking down the hall looking at t-the map, and this kid yelled my name. I looked for him, but he kept spitting out hurtful things about my parents. Laughing with his friends and making fun of the c-cancer. I saw him, and told him to shut up. His friends started to surround us, and he kept saying horrible things. I r-raised my voice, to act more menacing, and his friends started to yell 'fight' over and over again. The kid was in mid-sentence when he punched to the g-ground. Now I'm here."

Kara looked at Ryan's face. She saw the black eye, which was wet of ice and tears. She saw the bruises and the bloody nose. "Miss Eberly, don't worry. He'll recover in a couple of weeks. We've already called the other boy's mom. We're going to have a meeting with the boy and his mom."

"Ok. I'm going to have a talk with that parent. But I'll only use a stern voice of they use it against me first."

***  
The parent sat by her kid while Kara sat next to Ryan. "So tell me, why you 4 are in my office?"

"To speak for Ryan." 

"He beat me, and spat horrible things about my dead parents!"

"Yea, so what?" 

"Alright. That's enough! Derek, you have detention for a week! Ryan, you are unpunished. You stood up for yourself because some intolerable child was making fun of something tragic you had to go through. And because the only finger you laid on him was when he was kicking your hand."

"Hey, I'm really sorry about my child, he has a record for doing stuff like this. But I didn't know it would go this far. I'm truly sorry."

"It's ok. Just make sure it doesn't happen again." Kara left the room with Ryan, taking him home. 

***  
Jack wondered why Ryan wasn't on the bus. He could've gone to a friend's house, but on his first day? Those thoughts left him once he saw Ryan laying on the couch. "Why is Ryan lying on the couch?"

Chris walks over to them. "He was beat up today. The kid apparently said stuff about Ryan's dead parents, and started beating him up." Geoff covered his mouth, feeling sympathy for something that never happened to him. "Ryan's sleeping now, so you guys should go up to your rooms and do homework."

"Yes sir." Jack and Geoff ran up the stairs to their rooms.

~~~The Next Morning~~~

Ryan still had to go to school. He honestly didn't care, but he had a black eye. Chris let him wear his aviators to school. When he got on the bus, he sat next to Jenny again. "Hey, Ryan. You weren't on the bus yesterday afternoon."

Ryan simply took off the glasses to show Jenny. "I got in a fight. Well, it really wasn't a fight. It was a bunch of kids kicking me profusely."

"Oh.. well I'll walk you to your second hour today."

"I only know where my first hour is. I never made it to 2nd hour."

"Wait, why did they beat you up in the first place?"

"To be stupid and rude. They also shouted horrible things about my parents."

"What did your parents do?"

"They died of cancer." Silence filled that seat until Vegas Lights started playing. They both looked at each other, and mouthed the countdown. "At lunch, I'm going to sit with my foster brothers, because one of them has tattoos that scare some guys."

"Ok. If you want to sit with us mid-lunch, then we'll accept."

"Thanks."

***  
Twenty minutes later, they were walking to class. Ryan was looking around, like a usual preteen. The hallway was close to empty, except a few people at their lockers. Then Ryan saw the group of kids walking down the hall. Him and Derek met eye contact. He hands Jenny his stuff, "I gotta run." He bolted.

"Wait ry- RUN!" 

"Come here, Haywood! You're gonna pay!" The group started running towards Ryan, totally not noticing Jenny, who was running behind him with his schedule. 

"Wait, Ryan!" Jenny slid on her knees. "Get up on these lockers!"  
She made herself into a stepping stool. Ryan used her to grab onto the top of the lockers, getting on. He then helped Jenny up. The crowd caught up to them, yelling at them because they can't reach them.

"Oh, so little cancer parent has a girlfriend?"

"Yes. She is a friend that is a girl."

"Well, I'll let you 2 friends match. With black eyes."

Jenny took action. "W-whoa there. We need to get to class."

"Not until we're done with you two!"

Ryan noticed there were many lockers in a row, but split up. Their home room was down the hall, and they could get to it by jumping from locker to locker. He grabbed Jenny's wrist, and pointed to what they were going to do. They jumped from locker to locker, until their home room was right behind the crowd of boys. "We're going to have to jump across."

"We have to make the door open."

"How about I throw something, and it knocks on the door, making someone open it." Jenny nods. Ryan throws a pencil at the door. Mr. Reed opens the door. "JUMP!" The both jump, landing in a roll and bolting into the room. Ryan slams the door shut. 

***  
He and Jenny were then in the counselor's office. "Ok, so can you guys tell me exactly what happened.

"So I saw Derek and I started running."

"He yelled 'you're going to pay Haywood'."

"So then Jenny started running with me."

"Then I had the idea of getting on top of the lockers."

"So we got on top of the lockers, where they can't reach us."

"But we still had to get to first hour."

"So we jumped from locker to locker until we were right in front of our home room."

"Ryan threw a pencil at the door, so it would knock."

"Mr. Reed opened the door, and we jumped off and ran inside, closing the door behind us."

She simply nods. "I see. So is Derek the one who gave you that black eye?"

"Yes ma'am."

"And how did he give it to you?"

Ryan explained the whole scenario with Derek the day before, not missing a single detail. "Alright, you two are free to go."

"Wait, can I have a copy of my schedule first?"

"Of course. Just give me a second." She prints out his schedule and hands it to him. "Have a good day you two."

***  
Boring hours of useless learning went by, and it was now time for lunch. Ryan had gotten his tray, and looked around the lunchroom. Jack and Geoff's table was already full, and Jenny was nowhere to be found. He walked outside, and saw Jenny with her friends. Ryan walked over to them, sitting down and noticing he's the only guy at the table. 

"Oh hey Ryan!"

"Hey, Jenny!" Ryan took a bite into his poorly made pulled pork sandwich. It may have been poorly made, but you can never go wrong with a pulled pork sandwich unless you forget the pork. "Man, the cafeteria really knows how to make food! This is amazing!" Everyone at the table looked at him in confusion.

"Ryan, are you going insane? This stuff is gross!"

"This is the best pulled pork sandwich I've ever had!" He took another bite. "But to be fare, this is the only thing I've tried in the cafeteria."

"Oooo try the beans. They're the best part." Arryn pointed to the beans and smiled. 

"Alright, if you say so. I'm taking your word for it!" He scooped up some beans and stuffed them in his mouth. With no hesitation, and gagged and grabbed a napkin to spit out the beans. The girls around him all laughed in a jokingly matter, showing no harm. 

"So, weren't they the best?"

"I've lost my appetite."

Jenny got up from her seat. "Oh Ryan, after lunch everyday I go to the band room because the teacher is awesome. Wanna come?"

"Sure." Ryan got up and put his tray in the trash can, following Jenny to the band room.

***  
The teacher waved him a friendly hello,"Hello! I'm Mrs.Flannigan, but you can call me Mrs.F!"

"I'm Ryan Haywood. Nice to meet you. Is that a ukulele?"

"Yea, pretty cool right? You can try it out if you want." Ryan picked it off the wall and started playing a little rhythm. It was the same tune, but in a loop. 

Ryan started to sing a little chorus to it. "She asked me son when I grow old, will you buy me a house of gold and when your father turns to stone, will you take care of me?" It was quiet, but still loud enough to hear through the room. "I will make you queen of everything you see. I'll put you on the map, I'll cure you of disease." Ryan's voice cracked at the last sentence, so he repeated himself. "I'll cure you of disease." His voice wasn't cracking, it was the lump in his throat forming. He soon put the ukulele back on the wall, repeating the same words. "I'll cure you of disease."

The bell rang, and he ran out of room.

~~~One Month Later~~~

It's been a crazy month. Ryan and Jenny still hang out, and Derek doesn't bother them anymore. But this month would be even crazier. Christmas. Winter formal. Snow. 

Ryan was more focused on the winter formal, this being his first dance. He wanted to look nice, even though everyone he knows is wearing tennis shoes with Kakis. Ryan bought a tie and a pair of Sperry's. 

Jack was going all out, too. He was going even further by asking out a date. A DATE for crying out loud; that is a true lady's man. He really like that Caiti girl Ryan hangs out with some times. 

"Hey, Ryan? Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure Jack. What do ya need?"

"Can you ask that girl Caiti to sit with me at lunch? I'm gonna ask her to the dance."

"Um, ok. I will only write your last name down, to see if she pronounces it correctly."

"Why?"

"Because she pronounces tortilla like how you should pronounce your name."

"Ok, as long as you get the job done. I'll even give you $5."

"Man, that could buy me like five sodas! We have a deal, sir!" They shook hands, and went to separate rooms.

***  
Ryan ran up to Caiti the next morning. "Hey, can you do me a favor?"

"Um, sure. What is it exactly?"

"So, my foster brother wants you to sit at his table at lunch today. Will you sit at his table at lunch today?"

"Sure, what's his name?"  
Ryan then handed Caiti the slip of paper with Jack's name on it. Full name. 

"He usually sits with Geoff Ramsey."

"He's the one with tattoos right?"

"Yea. I gotta run to class, I have to print out my research paper."

"Well, I'll see you there."

***  
Caiti looked a around the lunchroom for the tattoo arms. She found them, and started walking up to the table. She'd seen Jack before, just never spoke to him. So, Caiti sat next to him, feeling all awkward and stuff. The table was full of boys. Some of their names were Burnie Burns, Matt Hullum, Joel Hayman, and Gus Sorola. The only other girl there was a girl named Faith. Jack looked at her, she looked at him; it was almost a movie moment until she asked a question.

"Hey are you Jack Pattillo?" She said it like how she thought it should be said, thinking you soft the "L"s.

"Actually it's Jack Pattillo. It rhymes with 'Paddillo'. Dill, till, it really depends if you're southern or not."

"Like tortilla?" Jack giggled.

"Yes, like tortilla." They started to have a genuine conversation about pronouncing words with silent "L"s; it was so bizarre. Yet, they enjoyed it. 

"I'll see you tomorrow, Jack."

"You, too. Sit here if you want, it's your life choices not mine." Caiti snickered and left the cafeteria.

***  
Caiti had science with Barbara and Arryn 6th hour. She walked in, and they looked at her like she was crazy. "Caiti, where were you at lunch?"

"Was it a guy? It was a guy wasn't it?" Caiti, still puzzled, spoke up.

"Ryan told me to sit with his foster brothers. Jack wanted to ask me out to the dance."

"So? What did you say?"

"I said yes, because he's a genuine guy. He's so sweet." Caiti's face is all giggly and smiley. Arryn looked at her with a serious face.

"Is he as sweet as a caramel chocolate brownie that's also a cookie?"

"More of a vanilla bean ice cream with that chocolate drizzle. Not too sweet, but not bitter. He was that perfect level of sweetness."  
Barbara looked confused.

"I still don't know this "level of sweetness" you guys have." They laughed, and the teacher walked in to begin class.


	2. Dark, Olive Green Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone new joins the family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! From now on, the next couple of chapters will only be like 2 thousand words. It makes it easier for me to keep chapters coming. Feedback is appreciated!

The boys got home from school that day, and Kara and Chris were sitting at the dinner table. Chris motioned the boys towards them. "So, we need to talk."

"Why? Is something wrong?" Ryan looked worried.

"Of course not! It's about the next couple of days."

Jack's face lit up. "Oh I know exactly what this is about."

"We're going to be having another boy staying here. Kara and I have already met him, and he seems nice."

Kara spoke up. "There's only a few minor things we need to talk about. First, he's from Oxfordshire."

"Like, England?"

"Yea, so he's British. Second, he's going to be sharing a room with Ryan since he has the biggest room."

"Aw, man."

"And third, he's gone through a lot. So, cut him some slack. Whatever you do, don't mention his parents unless he mentions them first. Ryan, you can show some sympathy with him."

"His parents died of cancer, too?"

"Well, let's just say that there was a house fire. And his parents didn't make it."

"Oh.. How old is he?"

"Your age."

Jack looked at them. "So, we done?"

Chris looked back, getting up. "Yea. Go do some homework or something. Ryan, clean your room."

"Yes sir!" Ryan ran to the kitchen to grab some trash bags.

***  
Those days sure went by fast. Before they knew it, Gavin Free was sleeping in the back seat of their car. He told them before hand that he still had jet lag. Gavin brought the things he salvaged from the fire. That consisted of clothes. His best friend from England gave him his camera. His best friend, Dan, and him would film stuff in slo motion. When he heard what happened to Gavin and how he was leaving England, he gave him the camera they used. So, in the back seat with Gavin was a few articles of clothing and a huge camera in a very protective carrying case. 

The car jolted to a stop in the driveway. Gavin woke and unbuckled his seatbelt. He grabbed his Phantom Flex and headed towards the door, Chris and Kara close behind him. He opened the door, surprised to see a boy walking down stairs with two full trash bags.

"Finished." The boy breathed out. Gavin looked at him like he was crazy.

Kara saw the crazy looks. "Gavin, this is Ryan. You're going to be sharing a room with him. Ryan, how about you show him around the house and who his other foster brothers are."

"Yes ma'am. So, follow me and I'll show you where your room is." Gavin followed him silently up the stairs and into the room, finally able to put down his huge camera. He observed his surroundings.

Gavin then realized he hadn't talked once and snapped back into reality. "I'm Gavin Free. Nice to meet you. Cool room." Gavin's voice sounded tired. He was obviously exhausted. He pointed at a bed. "That my bed?"

"Yes. You can take a nap if you want." Gavin was already one step ahead of him. He was laying on the bed, closing his eyes.

***  
He awoke to someone opening the day and saying his name. "Gavin, dinner's ready."

"Alright. I'm gonna go wash myself up a bit before I eat." Gavin's hair was a mess, and he still had grogginess showing on his face. He walked to the bathroom, and washed his face. Gavin looked at himself in the mirror and how much he's changed. He used to have fun, bright green eyes; always filled with joy. Now he has a dark, olive green; the light in his eyes was scarce. Gavin combed his hair, making sure it looked decent. He walked out of the bathroom and went downstairs.

Gavin saw everyone in the kitchen with their plates, it a buffet-like line.

"Oh, Gavin! It's Taco Tuesday!" Chris and Jack seemed too excited for Taco Tuesday, he found it quite amusing. He grabbed his taco shell and started filling it with meat and cheese. Gavin put a dollop of guacamole on the side with a couple of chips. He went to sit with the rest of his new family. 

"Kara, this food is delightful. Thank you."

"Oh Gavin, you don't have to thank me." Gavin quickly devoured his taco and chips, stomach being packed with delightful goodies. 

"So, when am I starting school?"

"Friday. We're going to take you shopping tomorrow for school stuff."

"But there's still Thursday I'll be missing."

"And Friday is right before a weekend, so you'll get a break from the hard ache of new schools in a different country." It all made sense to him. And he wasn't going to complain.

"May I be excused?"

"Yes."

***  
Gavin woke and everyone was already at school. He had some time to spare, since shopping would only take an hour or two. He looked at the clock; nine o'clock. Gavin started to get ready, anyway. He gathered a small outfit he had and a towel and got in the shower. 

The shower was quick, not taking anytime at all. He got dressed and did his hair. Gavin even put on his shoes and brushed his teeth. He was prepared to go out in public, yet he still had to wait two hours before they left. 

Gavin decided to mess with his phone for awhile. Kept playing useless games on it. He eventually walked downstairs and sat on the couch. He stared at the black screen of the TV until Kara walked in. 

"Good morning, Gavin."

"Good morning, Kara. Do you know when we'll be leaving?"

"In around thirty minutes." 

Thirty minutes of useless boredom later, they head out to the car. Gavin had a few clothing items in mind, but nothing too much. He really needed a lab coat. He loves science and the art of slowing things down frame by frame. They were already pulling into the Target parking lot, so Gavin left his thoughts be.

***  
At Target they bought clothing and school supplies. Then, they went home. Nothing note worthy happened while they were there. Thursday went by like a breeze. It was now Friday, Gavin's first day of school. He simply wore a hoodie and a pair of shorts. Chris explained him the American school system; even making Gavin take notes. Kara told him to ask where his next class was before he left the classroom. Gavin was prepared for the school part, not the crazy American teenage girls who love British accents. 

The bus arrived, and Gavin boarded. He found an empty seat and gladly took it. He looked out the window, keeping his thoughts in his head as he saw buildings upon buildings before arriving at school. 

Gavin had a note to enter the school early, so he can figure out where his first hour is. He quickly found it, having five minutes to spare before other students would be entering the class room. He decided to talk to the teacher, get to know him and such.

"Hi, I'm Gavin Free. Are you Mr. Russell?" The teacher looked at him and stood up.

"Yes. Good to finally meet you, Gavin. How's America doin' for ya?"

"I've been treated well." The bell rang, and Mr. Russell showed him where his seat was. The seats were arranged like any other science classroom- tables all facing the front, two people per table. 

The students started to pile in. A girl with red hair sat next to Gavin. The class began, continuing where they left off at with kinetic energy and potential energy. Gavin understood it completely. Towards the last ten minutes of class, he started to talk about a project. "The project over the two weeks is a video about when a bouncy ball has potential energy and kinetic energy. But, there's a catch. You will be working with your partner and on the Monday it's due you will both present the video to the entire class."

Gavin looked at his partner. "I'll give you my phone number and address. We can work on it tomorrow at my house. Oh, and my name's Gavin. Gavin Free."

"I'm Meg. And so I need to bring anything specific tomorrow?"

"If you can, bring a white lab coat and some bouncy balls. We're going all out." 

"Alright." The bell rings and the class scatters. Gavin asks where his next class is, and scurries off to second period.

***  
The cafeteria was crowded today. It was raining, so the usual kids in the courtyard were forced to sit inside. Gavin sat at a table that only has three chairs at it; people were taking chairs from other tables to fulfill their friends' needs. He sat there, eating his fish sticks, wound up in his own thoughts.


	3. I'm SORRY

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to use italics and I got stuck on it, but when I copy and pasted it it stayed normal. So ignore any ramble about italics.

So, hello. HOLY SHIT IT HAS BEEN A WHILE! Like, what, 10 months? And I'm sorry about that, I just lost inspiration. I'd look at this story in my notes and think "how can I add on to this?" Then I would try to start to add a little something, realize it didn't fit well with the story, and delete it. And I realized that once I got to highschool, writing about a bunch of 6th graders and 7th graders kind of felt childish.

(as all 6th graders learn how to cuss when they get to middle school and they can't learn how to stop. Ex.: "Fuck fuck fuck bitch [Racial slander that starts with N] pussy dick! I forgot my fucking shitty homework!")

I would have ideas about certain points that could be in it, but not know how to connect all the bits and pieces. Basically, my worst enemy is  
FILLER. 

I try to use italics once and I can't get out of it, so I apologize for the rest of this being in italics.

Ok, so, what was I talking about? OH RIGHT! Ok, back to the point, I would have DRABBLE ideas and not be able to connect them all together (except for a few points). 

So, I'm asking for you guys to give me prompt ideas for this story! I'd put them in a different story, but I'll make a folder of this so both stories will be in the same place-ish. 

So give me any prompt idea you have! They can be when they're in highschool, why they're in foster care, anything! 

And before I go, I want you to know I am truly sorry for the hiatus. It's my fault and my fault only. 

So, yea, GIVE ME PROMPTS!!

–Tiny out

**Author's Note:**

> You could tell I spelled the names wrong, didn't you. Or did you not notice until I told you.


End file.
